Nicholas Osei, known as Kumchacha, the founder of Heaven’s Gate Ministries, has strongly criticized the Ministry of Youth and Sports for its handling of $3 million related to the 13th All African Games in Ghana.
He condemned the ministry’s lack of transparency and accountability, labeling the officials involved as “thieves.”
Kumchacha voiced his frustration over the ministry’s inability to justify the expenditure, especially the $3 million reportedly allocated for broadcasting.
He called for divine intervention to combat corruption, linking the mismanagement of state funds to issues like youth suffering, poor road conditions, and inadequate street lighting.
In a video posted by Trends GH TV, Kumchacha, speaking in Twi, questioned how such a large sum could be spent on broadcasting without clear explanations.
He emphasized that religious leaders should not shy away from addressing corruption, despite criticism that they should focus solely on spiritual matters.
“How can the sports ministry spend over $3 million on broadcasting issues, and we are struggling to find out how it was spent? It is high time God deals with such corrupt people.
“Our leaders always look fresh and nice, yet they are criminals and thieves causing us pain through corruption. When a pastor talks about corruption, some people say focus on the Bible, but we need to speak out about the rot.”
This controversy erupted when the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, claimed before the Public Accounts Committee that $3 million had been paid to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
However, GBC’s Director-General, Professor Amin Alhassan, contradicted this, stating the broadcaster received only $105,000.
In response, the ministry issued a statement on August 21, 2024, clarifying that the broadcast rights deal with GBC was worth $3.6 million.
They asserted that $2.5 million was paid to GBC in two installments, with an additional $1 million directed to a third party at GBC’s request.
Background:
The controversy began when the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, claimed that his ministry paid over $3 million to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) during his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee.
However, Professor Amin Alhassan, Director-General of GBC, denied receiving this amount, stating that the state broadcaster only earned $105,000 from the African Games.
In response, the Ministry of Youth and Sports released a statement on August 21, 2024, detailing the African Games broadcast rights deal with GBC, which amounted to $3.6 million.
According to the ministry, $2.5 million was paid to GBC in two installments, and $1 million was paid to a third party upon GBC’s instructions.
“From the total amount, $2.5 million was paid directly to GBC in two tranches: $1 million and $1.5 million on March 13, 2024, and May 22, 2024, respectively.
Another amount of $1 million was paid to third parties upon the instructions of GBC, in accordance with the contract,” the statement explained.